Crash Course Philosophy

True, but we share some values and cultural differences often have to do with belief, not value.

A society’s moral code determines what is right and wrong

Not always. Sometimes a society is just wrong.

There are no objective standards to judge moral codes

Unless the moral principle is not tied to a culture, but instead an ethical precept such as it matters whether a practice hurts or helps the people it affects

The moral code of our society has no special status

It is one among many, but it could still be judged better or worse

It is arrogant to judge other cultures; we should be tolerant

Yes, but we can’t take this idea to extremes; some things shouldn’t be tolerated.

VII. Reflections: What Did We Learn?

Warns us about the danger of assuming all our practices are based on an absolute rational standard

Reminds us we should keep an open mind

Part 2 - Is Morality Based on Individual Feelings?

I. Subjectivism: Ethics are my personal opinion

Moral judgments are based on one’s opinions

Simple Subjectivism was revised into Emotivism in the 1900s

Criticized for failure to include reason

The Assassination of President LincolnApril 1865

People have different opinions

There are no “facts” in morality

No “right” or “wrong”

Moral opinions are based on feelings and opinions

Similarities to Cultural Relativism

Right and wrong dependent on culture

Right and wrong dependent on individual opinion

II. Evolution of Ethical Subjectivism

Hume

Take any [vicious] action...willful murder, for instance. Examine it in all lights, and see if you can find that matter of fact, or real existence, which you call vice... You can never find it, till you turn your reflexion in your own breast, and find a sentiment of [disapproval], which arises in you, toward this action. Here is a matter of fact: but ‘tis the object of feeling, not reason

Stevenson

Any statement about any matter of fact which any speaker considers likely to alter attitudes may be adduced as a reason for or against an ethical judgment

Philosophical theories go through stages

Theory is presented, objections are raised, the theory is revised, objections are raised, and so on

A. Simple Subjectivism

David Hume quote, advocate of subjectivism

When a person says something is morally good, this simply means he or she approves of the thing. Nothing more

X is morally acceptable/right/good/ought to be done = I approve of X.

X is morally unacceptable/wrong/bad/ought not be done = I disapprove of X

Problems with Simple Subjectivism

Cannot account for disagreement

Ethical statements are statements of personal attitude.

If you disagree with someone’s view, you are disagreeing with the truth of their attitude, not the issue